The Cool-As-Hell JamStik iPad Guitar Controller Is Shredding Up An IndieGoGo Campaign

Without a doubt, the coolest thing we saw at CES 2013 this year was the JamStik, a tiny, ukelele-sized guitar with real strings that connects over WiFi that you can use to record, perform or learn instruments on your iPad.

The only problem was, when we saw it, it was such a new product that it didn’t even have a booth, let alone a distributor. But now it’s finally inching closer to release, spearheaded by a new IndieGoGo campaign that promises to bring the cool-as-hell iPad guitar into your hands and ready to shred by the end of the year.

The JamStik uses CoreMIDI technology to interface with a host of iOS musical apps, like Apple’s GarageBand, Moog’s Animoog, Korg’s iPolysix and so on. Once the JamStik is hooked up, you can use the 15-inch long instrument to enter notes into your iPad. For musicians, the JamStik is what a Bluetooth keyboard is for typists: an easier way to input notes on the go. And it doesn’t need tuning or anything!

In addition to CoreMIDI apps, the JamStik is shipping with a couple cool native apps aimed at experts and amateurs alike: JamTutor, a virtual tutor to confirm or correct your fingering in real time, and JamMix – a hybrid guitar/DJ app that can get you started making music anytime, regardless of your skill set.

We were blown away with the JamStik when we saw it earlier this year, and it looks like this product is going to become a reality: with 33 days to go, JamStik is already 33% of the way towards its funding as of writing.

If you want a JamStik, you can preorder one now on IndieGoGo for just $199, a $100 discount over the JamStik’s ultimate retail price. Check it out, and look for our full review when the JamStik is officially released later this year.